The recipes feature big flavors from fresh herbs, tropical fruits, and a wide variety of veggies and mushrooms. There is even a section on Vietnamese meat alternatives (for example tofu sausage and homemade seitan), of which there are many, given the country’s deep Buddhist traditions.

Then, I use my Vegan Cashew Mayorecipe for the "mayo." Although you may choose any vegetables, I chose: Carrots lend a bit of crunch and color to the dish and a trio of fresh herbs (I used mint, cilantro, and basil) make it an irresistibly fragrant. To make the dressing, combine minced chile pepper, garlic, lime juice, vinegar, water, soy sauce, and sugar (or the sweetener of your choice). Fried rice paper summer roll wrappers– This is what I ended up using. When pan-fried in oil, this rice paper puffs up really nicely and have a crispy, airy texture. You do need to be careful because these are more fragile than the other “chips”.To accompany, there are oyster mushrooms, which add a rich umami flavor, even a little bit of funkiness that reminded me of fish sauce, only much milder. Plant-Based Milk- Almond was my milk of choice for this salad dressing. However, other vegan plant-based milk will work. Make sure it is plain and unsweetened. ⏲️Instructions

Tortilla chips – this is probably the easiest option for most people in Western countries. It might not be “authentic” but it’s true to the spirit of the dish, which demands interesting textures. Dried Herbs- Parsley, chives, and dill are the herbs of choice. You can also make this with fresh herbs if you like. If you’re going through one of those life phases where you feel like you just can’t “get it together,” you aren’t alone. This too shall pass. And when it does, you will be stronger and wiser. And don’t lose gratitude for everything that’s going well along the way. Gratitude is definitely an anchor through the challenging times.For those of us who want to eat guilt-free sweets, the question might be – are traditional fruit salad sweets vegan? Unfortunately not... well not yet anyway! A lot of chewy sweets like these aren’t, simply because beef gelatine has long been used to create the texture. However, as the global numbers of vegetarians and vegans increase, a lot of sweet companies are looking for ways to make their sweets without animal products of any sort.